By John Klima
April 2, 2010
When we last saw Trayce Thompson, Baseball Beginnings was putting a pretty fat OFP on him. A 58 to be exact, which if you know our scouting scale, means we thought he was a definite prospect with all-star potential in his best years. He’s still a baby as far as baseball goes, but in his first minor league spring training, Thompson showed signs that he’s moving in the right direction.
By John Klima
June 11, 2009
(photo: Baseball Beginnings)
Trayce Thompson was a highly sought-after Southern California center fielder. He said that he was aware of the Mariners, Angels, Astros, Dodgers, Phillies, Rays, Cubs, Orioles and A’s interest. Thompson, who did workouts at Angel Stadium, Dodger Stadium and Minute Maid Park, thought that the Angels were a likely fit because of the team’s reputation for taking high school players and for drafting in Southern California. The Angels have used their first pick on a Southern California high school player in three of the last four years, taking Trevor Bell in 2005, Hank Conger in 2006 and Tyler Chatwood in 2008.
“I initially thought that too,” Thompson said. “I’m not mad that they didn’t take me or anything like that, but there were two high school center fielders (Thompson and Jake Marisnick) they could have gone with. I sometimes wondered if one or both of us would end up there. It’s all worked out and I’m happy they considered me. I loved playing on Angels Elite. I can’t wait to get started with the White Sox. You can’t argue with the situation.”
Thompson said that he gradually became aware that the White Sox were on him. When he fell to the 61st overall pick, the White Sox pounced on a player whose above-average athletic ability and home run potential in center field project him to be a quality starter on a first-division team.
“The White Sox were really diligent with me,” said Thompson, who has a commitment to play college baseball at UCLA.
Read Trayce Thompson Q&A
Read Trayce Thompson report
Watch Trayce Thompson video
Watch Trayce Thompson video Part 2
Trayce Thompson Drafted by the Chicago White Sox
By John Klima
June 9, 2009
(photo: Baseball Beginnings)
Today, the Chicago White Sox drafted Trayce Thompson in the 2nd round (61st overall) in the draft. Follow the links below for Baseball Beginnings content on Thompson.
Read Trayce Thompson Q&A
Read Trayce Thompson report
Watch Trayce Thompson video
Watch Trayce Thompson video Part 2
Catching up with Trayce Thompson
By John Klima
May 26, 2009
Here’s a look at Trayce Thompson doing his thing.
Read Trayce Thompson Q&A
Read Trayce Thompson report
Watch Trayce Thompson video
Trayce Thompson Drafted by the Chicago White Sox
Catching up with Trayce Thompson
By John Klima
May 26, 2009
(photo: Baseball Beginnings)
Trayce Thompson, OF, Santa Margarita HS (2009 Draft)
Bats: Right/Throws: Right
6-3, 180
Games Seen: 2, Innings: 18
By John Klima
May 25, 2009
(photo: Baseball Beginnings)
Trayce Thompson has basketball genes but baseball in his blood. His Dad, Mychal, was Mr. 1/1 (First pick, First round) of the 1978 NBA draft and enjoyed a long and productive career. Two of Trayce’s older brothers are Division I college basketball players. And even though Trayce grew up with Clyde Drexler coming over from a few doors down to try to get Mycheal off the couch and go to the gym with him, he still had baseball in his mind when he was out shooting with another friendly visitor, Uncle Chuck Barkley.
Here at Baseball Beginnings, we like guys who have played multiple sports prior to signing. It’s really a sentiment from Old World scouting, where the belief was that no sport requires more fine motor skills than baseball. So if you take a guy who knows how to move his feet and his hands, you got yourself an athlete. It worked for Goose Tatum, a stud member of the old Harlem Globetrotters and a pretty good baseball player in his own right.
Some of the baseball players with other sports in their pasts who we’ve covered leading up to the 2009 draft are Bonita HS shortstop Jiovanni Mier, a soccer player, and Loyola Marymount first baseman Ryan Wheeler, who used to play basketball with North Carolina’s Deon Thompson in high school. Willie Mays played everything in high school, so did Reggie Jackson. Gary Carter was a prep quarterback. John Elway, you know his deal.
In the showcase and specialization age, the multi-sport baseball player is largely a thing of the past, but a player like Thompson shows why different athletic experiences before going into baseball fulltime still has its advantages. That’s the view here, which probably runs contrary to a lot of opinions in the amateur baseball field.
At this time last year, Thompson said he was just trying to get a Division I school to take him, but athleticism helps a player come quickly into baseball. His ride is at UCLA, but signs indicate that the draft will never let him get there. Baseball Beginnings caught up with Thompson and talked about his basketball past and his baseball future.
By John Klima
April 14, 2009
We told you last week that outfielder Trayce Thompson was climbing the 2009 draft charts extremely quickly. Today, in a tournament game in Orange County, the Dodgers, Angels and Yankees were all in attendance. These weren’t the area guys, mind you, these were some big dogs.
The Dodgers had scouting director Logan White and special assistant Tom Lasorda in to watch Thompson. The Angels had assistant GM Ken Forsch in as well as Gary Sutherland, Special Assistant to the GM. The Yankees made themselves seen, with a party of five, including Assistant GM Mark Newman.
In case you missed it, here’s video of Thompson’s swing. He’s got straightaway and opposite field power and raw athletic ability.
Read Trayce Thompson Q&A
Read Trayce Thompson report
Watch Trayce Thompson video
Watch Trayce Thompson video Part 2
Trayce Thompson Drafted by the Chicago White Sox
Catching up with Trayce Thompson
By John Klima
April 8, 2009
Meet Trayce Thompson. When you grow up in Southern California as the son of former L.A. Lakers center-power forward Mychal Thompson, the No. 1 pick in the 1978 NBA draft, most people will assume that basketball is your favorite sport. Indeed, Thompson can play basketball. Like his two brothers, he would be playing Division I college basketball next year if he weren’t a baseball player at heart.
Because he played a great deal of basketball in the summer, he wasn’t invited to play on the showcase circuit and he didn’t appear on any pre-season baseball watch lists. However, Thompson is one of the best raw athletes available for the 2009 draft. His stock has soared dramatically as scouts who missed him in the summer hurry to catch him in the spring.
Baseball Beginnings is pleased to unveil the first-ever online video of Thompson hitting and showing power. Here is video of the right-handed hitting Santa Margarita HS outfielder hitting two home runs earlier this week – one shot to right field and one shot to center field.
Thompson elicits comparisons to former Sherman Oaks Notre Dame center fielder Michael Stanton, who Florida Marlins coach and former Seattle Mariners third baseman Jim Presley has compared to Ken Griffey, Jr. One scout said Thompson’s body reminded him of a young Dave Winfield – an apt comparison given Mychal Thompson played at Winfield’s University of Minnesota. He has signed to play baseball at UCLA. We’ll have more on him as the season continues.
Read Trayce Thompson Q&A
Read Trayce Thompson report
Watch Trayce Thompson video Part 2
Trayce Thompson Drafted by the Chicago White Sox
Catching up with Trayce Thompson
